August 05, 2013

Randle's improv helps put him in the picture in Cowboys running back competition

Joseph Randle doesn’t know how he did it on the way to
leading the Cowboys in rushing in the preseason opener.

Whatever he did, it worked.

“Once I got the pre-game jitters out of there, it was a
great game,” he said. “The offensive line did a great job, and I was just out
there trying to capitalize on the yards when I was out there.”

It was a good time for Randle to capitalize. He had been
out-played in training camp by veteran Lance Dunbar in the competition for the
primary backup job, and he hadn’t separated himself from veteran Phillip Tanner
or undrafted rookie Kendial Lawrence in a bid to be the No. 3 back.

But the rookie running back from Oklahoma State
showed skill as he improvised with success. He went a long way against the
grain for a nice gain on one run, and he showed natural cut-back ability.

“It’s a little bit of all of that,” he said, asked if he
relied on vision or “feel” to find room. “The people that can balance that the
most are probably the best running backs.”

So how did he do it?

“I don’t know. I was just playing football,” Randle said. “I
was just playing football, and it’s just where I ended up going.”